Snap lock harness clip



March, 1946. H, J. LE VESCONTE SNAP LOCK HARNESS CLIP Filed May 23, B44

Patented Mar. 26, 1946 s PATENT OFFICE SNAPLOCK HARNESS CLIP Harold J. Le Vesconte, Glendale, one. assignmto Adel Precision Products Corp, lmrlnamk, Calif., a corporatiorrof California Application May 23, 1944, Serial No. 537,013 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-44) This invention relates .to harness clips as used in aircraft to support wires or conduits in the desired position on structural parts of the aircraft past or adjacent which parts the wires or conduits are extended. Clips .of thistype are usually. formed of a spring metal-strapbent to provide anopen clamping loop having outwardly extended normally spaced apart apertured end portions which are forced together to clamp the loop around the wires .or conduit, and then secured to asu'ppor't bymeans of a fastening which is passed through opening formed in the end portions. On the tightening of the fastening the end portionsare drawn together to tightly clamp the loop around the wires or conduit and securely fasten the clip to the support.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip of the character described having a novel and efiicie'nt snap locking means formed in a simple and inexpensive manner in the end portions of the clamping loop conjunctively with the fastening-receiving openings therein, and comprising a hook extending from one endportiomand a cooperating lip being a marginal-portion of the fastening-receiving opening in the other end portion, whereby upon bringing said portions together the hook will snap into tensioned and locked engagement with the cooperating lip portion to releasably lock the clip around the wires or conduit with the openings in said end portions aligned for reception of the fastening element,

thus making it unnecessary to hold the end portions together by hand in installingthe clip and facilitatingsub-assembly and installation operations.

.Another object is to provide a clip such as described in which a saving in strategic metal and in manufacturing costs and an appreciable reduction; in weight, compared to snaplock clips heretofore made, are brought about by the forming of the hook as a struck-out part of the metal contiguous the fastening-receiving opening in one end portionof the clip when forming the latter, as well as by making the fastening receiving opening in the other endportionoflarger than usual size to allow for the reception of the hook therein and the inter-locking of'the hook-therewith as I well as the accommodation ofthe fastening there- With the 1 foregoing objects in view together with such other. objects and advantages as may subsequently appearithe invention is carried into effect,ans-illustrated byway ofexample in the accompanying drawingyinlwhichz V Fig; iis'ap'erspective' view of my invention as itwwould= appear before installation on the wires and support: I

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the clip as it would appear in a sub-assembly with .the wires, before being fastened to arsup'portz I Fig.3 is across sectional view-taken on the line 3 -3 Fig.2: a

Fig. 41s a vertical sectional view, partly in elevationof clip as would appear when installed:

Fig. 5 .is a part sideelevational and part vertical sectional viewer the clip before installation:

Fig. .6.is a view similar to Fig. ;5 showing the manner of'locking the end portion of the clip toether:

.Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the mannerof locking the ends of the clip to one another.

Referring itothe drawing more specifically it will be seen that a clip embodying my invention may bemade of v a spring metal strap formed as an open loop 8rhaving opposed outwardly extending and normally spaced apart end portionsli and m adapted to be broughttogether to close the loop around the wires II or a conduit not shown and facilltate'the fastening of theclip by means of a bolt 12 and nut 13 toa support It as shown in Fig. 4.

In accordance with my invention the ends 9 and m are iormed'wlth bolt receiving openings l5 and I6 in such manner astoprovide a snap lockin meansoperativeto releasablylock the ends to- ,gether incident to theforcing of the ends towards one'another as indicatedinFigs. Band 7; .pre-

'liminary'to the fastening oi. the clip to the support.

In the present instance the locking means includesasmall'hook"l1 on the end portion 9 and alip l8 onthe-end portion In. over whichlip the'hook is engaged to, lock the ends together. The hook His formed by making'the opening l5 of key-hole shape and striking out the metal which-is cut to "form the narrowed, rectangular elongation l5'-of such an opening, then bending the struck out metal in thetform of a hook. The

opening I6 is of key-holeshape-and at the inner end of the elongated portion l6 thereof, the lip I8 is provided. The hook I! is extended toward the end .portion In and is adapted to pass through the opening; [6 and engage and snap past the lip l8 in locked engagement therewith as shown in Figs. 2, ,4, and 6.

.In use, the wires are.,mounted in a compact group within the open loopjafter which theend portions 9 and III are forced together so that the a -clip embodying loop will be closed around the wires and the loop.

Y IcIaim:

hook I! will snap past the lip I8 and come into tensioned and locked engagement therewith. Figs. 6 and 7 show how the hook will ride over and depress the lip l8 and adjacent part of the loop so that the hook and lip will snap into locking contact with one another on pressing the ends 9 and in together. When thus locked together, the ends 9 and i are held with the open ings i; and 1 6 'registration for -receptionof the bolt, lz 'whi'ch onLbeing tightened willdraw the ends closer together and clamp the loop tightly around the wires as well as securely fasten the clip'to the support as shown in Fig. 4.

After the clip is looked around the'wires. as

shown in Fig. 2 it may be readily released and opened to place or remove-a wire, by depressing the end portion I!) so as to disengage thelip [8 from the hook l1.

' It should be noted that the interlocking parts are at one side of the portions of the openings l5 and I6 leaving an unobstructed opening through which the bolt IZpasses so thatthe insertion, turning and removal of the'bolt will not be interfered with. I I

It is now seen that by'formi'ng registering keyhole openings 15 and l6 in the end portions 9 and Hi and an integral hook projecting from the transverse margin of the elongated portion of one of the openings so asto hook over the correspond ing margin of i the other opening; I provide a simple and efficient locking means with a mini mum of materialandforming operations and without requiring extensions of the end portions or increasingthe area thereof beyond that of the ordinary apertured end portions having no locking means associated therewith. Also thatthe hook-forming operation is facilitated by reason z tionsra'dapted to extend -through 'the; opening in .,.th'ef,other;end 'portion. and hook around a marginal portion thereof to hold said end portions together with said openings in registration and substantially unobstructed for reception of said fastening.

i 2. In a clip for supporting wires or a conduit, a spring metal strap formed as a normally open Qloop having outwardly extending end portions of the hook beingstruck out atthe outer end of the rectangular extension I5. of the keyholeshaped opening. f r

The lock means hereof, that is,the hook element H is'formed at the same time the bolt-receiving opening I5 is formed and therefore no extra forming operationis required. The open ing #6 may be'm'ade ofany shape other than 'here shown, provided it'is large enough to accommodate the bolt and the hook at the same time, and will provide a lip or edge to lock with the hook. Thus no operation other than the formation of a hole isfnecessary to make the lip for contact with the hook and provide a space to receive the hook. Moreover the provision of a bolt opening in one'end portion of the loop which opening also accommodates a hook carried by the other end portion of the'loop and afiords an interlocking of the end portions, is a feature of importance making for aconservation of material and a reduction of the number of forming operations, regardless ofhow the hook is formed on e the end portion supporting it. i

A further advantage is that the hookarranged,

as here provided to interlock with the opening in one end of the loop maybemademuch smaller than the hook elements as heretofore provided in this art and the clip and as whole made smaller and lighter without reducing'the capacity of the While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention I do not limit'myself to the exact details of construction'set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of theparts a'nd their 1 formation and arrangement as come.v within the purview of the appended claims adapted to be brought together to close the loop and clamp it around the wires or conduit, said end portions having openings in them to receive a fastening for securing the end portion to a sup-- 7 port, and a hook on oneof said end portions extending toward the other end for hooked engagement therewith to hold said end portions together with the openings in them in registration and substantially unobstructed for reception of said fastening, said other endportion having the opening therethrough of sufficient size to receive the fastening and the hook at the same time.

3. In a clip for supporting wires or a conduit, a metal strap formed as a normally open loop' having outwardly extending end portions adapted to be brought together to close the loopand clamp 7 it around the wires or conduit, said end portions of the closed lcoptending to-spring apartand having openings in them to receive a fastening for securing the end portion to a support, and a hook on one of said end portions extending toward the other end for hooked engagement there with to hold said end-portions together with the openings in them in registration and substantially unobstructed for reception of said fastenin said other end portion having the opening there through of sufiicient size to receive thefastening and the hook at the same time.

7 4. In a, clip for supporting wires or a conduit,- a spring metal strap formedas a normally open loop having outwardly extending end portions adapted to be brought together to close, the loop and clamp it around the wires or conduit, said A them to receive end portions having openings in" v a fastening for securing the end portion toa support, and a hook member, on one of said end 7 portions adaptedto extend through the opening substantially unobstructed for reception-of said pressing of said end portions together.

in the other end portionand hook around amarginal portion thereof to hold said end portions together with said openings inregistration and fastening, said hook andmarginal portions being relatively arranged so that they" will snap into I hooked engagement with one another 5. In a clip for supporting wires or a conduit, a

*spring metalstrap formed as a 'normally 'open loop having outwardly extending end portions adapted to be brought togethento close the loop andcl'amp it around the wires or conduit, said end portions having .openingsin them to receive a fastening for securing the end portion to a slip port, said openings being elongated and adapted f fiO IjeCBlVe the fastening intheir outermost porpotions, and ahook struck out from one of the end portions at a point forming the margin of the inner end of the opening therein and extending 7 toward the other end portion and adapted to hook noon th r around the margin of the inner end of the opening through said other end portion to hold said end portions together with the opposite end portions of the openings therein substantially unobstructed and in registration with one another for 6 reception of said fastening.

6. In a clip for supporting wires or a conduit, 8. spring metal strap formed as a normally open loop having outwardly extending end portions adapted to be brought together to close the loop 10 to receive the fastening in their outermost porl5 tions; and a. hook struck out from one 01 the end portions at a. point forming the margin of the inner end of the opening therein and extending toward the other end portion and adapted to hook around the margin of the inner end of the opening through said other end portion to hold said end portions together with the opposite end portions of the openings therein substantially unobstructed and in registration with one another for the reception of said fastening, said other end portion and a part of the loop contiguous therewith being subject to being pressed inwardly to disengage the hook.

HAROLD J. LE VESCQNTE. 

